Races

Monday, July 1, 2013

FVM BQ or Bust Weeks 1 and 2

I'm thinking for my second go at The Fox Valley Marathon I will write down a brief summary of my training/happenings because I absolutely love to go back and read it later on. It's these memories of races, training, thoughts, events that keeps this blog (journal) alive to see another day.

Week 1

Monday-7.5 miles, easy The day started out with nervous anticipation for what the next 14 weeks would hold for me, would I be able to train more aggressively? Would I remain injury free? Would I be able to stay in a great spot mentally? Would I be able to smash my goal 14 weeks later?

Then I got an email..

I was going to get a free pair of Mizuno Wave Sayonaras to test, and L would also get a pair. I was head over heels in love with my Mizuno Wave Elixirs but they were being discontinued, so I jumped ship to Brooks. I was THRILLED to get a pair of these to test since they would be replacing my beloved Elixirs.

When I got home I received a package from my Daad with this note:

And to top it all off, I ran up to Fleet Feet for their fun run, which was also the kickoff to my FVMBqorBUST training and got to run with Jenny and Hillary. When we walked back out of Fleet Feet we saw this:

Since they arrived Friday, I had to test them out with an easier run of course. My initial impression is that the arch area and toe area (where the foot/toes bend) are very snug. I did not get any blisters, but I am hesitant to bring them along for any long runs until they are broken in more. My shorts also chaffed my leg pretty bad. Looks like I need to go back to running 101 and not wear stuff that has chaffed in the past. Derp.

Earlier in the day I went to the Chicago Blackhawks parade. Since the route was very close to my work I decided to go down and check it out. It seriously lasted all of 5 minutes with the busses whizzing by.

Since I'm too lazy to transfer the photos to my PC, I took a photo of the photo I took with my camera on the iPhone. Yay Blackhawks, Stanley Cup Champions!!

And the vine video I took:

Saturday-14 miles, 2:02, with progressive splits of miles 6-14.Woke up to 60 degrees, 90% humidity, fog and wind. YAY for cooler temps!

Felt great during the entire run once the dead leg feeling wore off around mile 6. Ran the first mile with L and then it was 5.5 more miles into the 20-30mph headwinds.

Had to "sandbag" a little once I turned around because I was instantly running 30 seconds faster at the same effort. Tailwind FTW! The progressive miles felt controlled through to the last mile.

I've already seen a dog get dive bombed a week ago...

After the long run, we went to the new brewery in town "Dry Hop." The beer is fantastic and the chicken burger with Brie, apples and caramelized onions hit the spot.

Sunday- Rest Day

Took CB to the dog park where he enjoyed sniffing tail and then played some frisbee.

Vai Brasil! Vamo que vamo!

To close out week 2 of training, L and I grilled yummy things and watched the Brasil vs Espana soccer game- which was for the Confederations Cup title. Brasil did not disappoint and easily won 3-0 over Espana.

With 12 weeks to go (83 days!) I'm feeling pretty damn good about training so far. As long as I stay on top of massaging my calf, I should stay in good health leading up to game day, 9/22/3013.

He put on a great show! That's too funny you had some of his songs played at your reception :)

The stick is a life saver! I also bring it to work sometimes. Lately I've been using a racquetball on my calf while siting on the floor. Seems to be able to dig through the knots without hurting my muscle.

your shoes... are so pretty! That is the color I wish I would have gotten! The pink ones are pretty awesome but I am not generally a pink kind of person. I think I may have to get those ones next. I am loving mine, I think they were made with my feet in mind. Of course I have only done up to 5 miles at a time in them.Glad your training is going good!

Haha I was so happy that the shoes were white instead of pink! I'm not much of a pink person either :) so far I really do like them- but since they are a bit more snug in the toe area, I'm a little concerned about bruising toenails.

Ah the hills.. I've done one session where I sprinted up sledding hill behind soldier field, and the next week I put the treadmill on incline 4-4.5... Both were pain inducing :) I would have said soccer hooligans, but I like your description better!

Those are two solid weeks, girl! Nice work with the speed sessions, too! Once I get back into an actual training program I really need to figure out how to do those:) Looking forward to seeing how your training progresses!

GO BLACKHAWKS!!!!! I just love that note from your Daad, it is so touching. If I had received it, I might make a copy of it and keep it in my pocket during long, hard training runs to refer back to when I need a little pick-me-up. Those new Mizunos look AWESOME. Keep up the amazing training and I can't wait to hear how things continue to rock for you in the weeks and months to come!!! And I seriously cannot wait for Sinha and for paddleboarding coming soon. =D

Introduction

Greetings! I'm Xaarlin, and live in Chicago with my husband and border collie dog, CB. I am an accountant by day and enjoy running, discovering new craft beers, learning Portuguese, eating/cooking delicious foods and spending time with my family when off the clock. I use this space to talk about life, running, and anything else that interests me. Mikkeller Run Club Chicago Captain. Untappd:Xaarlin